Explore tour schedules, studio locations, and helpful tips to navigate the 2024 Open Studio Tours. Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Southern Arizona’s local artists!
Meet the Artists
Discover more than 100 emerging and professional artists who want to share their work with you! Browse through the list of participating artists to get a glimpse at their techniques and inspirations.
Plan Your Tour
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process of local artists. Find art near you or explore the whole city. Learn how to plan your personal tour!
Buy Local Art
Support our local economy by supporting local artists! Visiting studios and connecting with local artists builds a healthy arts community. And if you want to purchase some art as well, even better! Learn more about supporting local arts.
Planning Your Tour
Visitors plan their own route for in-person experiences by navigating our Open Studio Tours event calendar and map. Check out where events are happening near you throughout the week, or make a plan to visit a new neighborhood. Explore where the next events are happening, or what studios are hosting events on a specific day using our map below. You can also view a map of all participating studios or the list of events without the map.
Visitor FAQ
What is the purpose of Open Studios Tours?
Open Studio Tours Online allows Southern Arizona’s artists to in person/virtually invite visitors into their studios and creative workspaces, free-of-charge, so they can directly engage with the working artists, see where art is created, and learn more about their artistic processes.
Does it cost anything to attend Open Studio Tours?
Open Studio Tours is free to attend! We encourage attendees to consider purchasing artwork to support local artists.
Will there be in-person tours in 2024?
Yes, The Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona and Open Studio Tours are supporting in-person and online studio/workspace tours in 2024 and beyond.
Supporting Local Art
Just by participating in Open Studio Tours, you are supporting your local arts and arts scene! OST is free to attend and no purchase is required, but with a range of price points, you might find something perfect for you. Here are resources to guide you in buying local art during Open Studio Tours 2024.
Set a budget
You wouldn’t invest in stocks, bonds, or precious metals without first determining a budget, your art collection is no different. When you start an art collection, you are starting a new investment portfolio.
Not only should you determine how much you want to spend, but you should also determine how you will use the amount budgeted. Is your budget for 6 months or an entire year? Are you budgeting for a single $1,000 acquisition or four $250 pieces?
As a newbie, you’ll want to focus on quality over quantity. Your budget will probably change over time, so it’s important that those early pieces are pieces with real value.
Ask what is available
“There is a threshold here,” says Bill Havu, owner of William Havu Gallery in the Golden Triangle. “Original art is not a poster, so it’s not going to run you what a poster does. To get into original art, you’re probably talking a range of $750 to $1,000.” So, yeah. Original art isn’t cheap. What might be surprising to know, however, is this: Gallery owners get it. They know not everyone has a truckload of dough to spend on beautiful things. As such, they aren’t going to be offended if you tell them you only have $800 to spend. They even welcome it.
“It’s OK to tell me that you have $1,000 and you’re wondering what I have in that price range,” says David B. Smith, owner and director of LoDo’s David B. Smith Gallery. “I have a bunch of hidden gems for less than that.” In fact, most galleries have rich storage areas where they stockpile artwork that isn’t on exhibit. What might be back there? “If you see something you like on display but you can’t afford it,” Havu says, “ask if there are smaller-size pieces or works on paper or limited-run prints from that same artist in the back. You might be surprised by what’s available.”
How to tell if you're buying the right art
Did you see an artwork that has been on your mind ever since you left the gallery? If you stumble upon a piece that sticks with you, that makes you step back or lean in, then this may be the piece for you. Trust your instinct. The best works are ones that you can keep coming back to.
Maybe they trigger a memory for you, or maybe they remind you of a person you love. Whatever it is, these are the works that emotionally speak to you, and that is the best kind of work to have.
We all have a unique perspective on what is “good” art, so do not [buy] an artwork that you aren’t feeling. Even if somebody is an expert and says that an artwork is valuable or beautiful, if you don’t like it then you shouldn’t buy it. You are the one who has to live with it, and you should only decorate your walls with works that speak to you on a personal level.
– From The Art of Buying Art